The community room in the Fox Branch of the Arlington Public Library, just outside Boston, officially holds one hundred fifty people. That is the limit, and the library got nervous when, in the weeks leading up to their booked event on March 22nd, so many media requests rolled in. The New York Times, WBUR, The Washington Post.

What exactly would be happening in their basement space? They called the organizer to clarify. What was this all about, anyway?

Oh, just a retirement party for Tom Furrier, owner of Cambridge Typewriter, a store a few blocks along Mass Ave. from the library.

But no, not just a retirement party. Also, a gathering of customers, from all corners of the country, most with a typewriter in tow, to talk, share, try out each other’s machines, and celebrate this man and this community.

What an event!

Don Worrell flew in from Iowa. Stephen Barnes and his wife drove up from the DC area. A family came from Florida, and Abraham Schecter arrived from Portland, Maine. Members of the Boston Typewriter Orchestra were there, including Chris Keene with a typewriter guitar!

We drove—my husband, daughter, and I—with Tower Chieftain, Olympia Splendid 99, and Smith-Corona Skywriter, from the humble distance of the other side of Boston, and arrived about twenty minutes into the event. We descended to the basement community room.

The noise was terrific. Every spot at every table was full. People sat on the floor and typed. Certainly, over a hundred people filled the space.

Slideshow of the crowded but fun mayhem!

A Governor’s Citation, Media, and More

… which, of course, merited Press attention

Tom's nephew, Billy, had brought a Lego typewriter as decoration for the community room piano. A guest book rapidly filled with glowing comments. A commendation from the Governor of Massachusetts adorned the guest-book table.

Amid the loud mingling, clack of typing, shouts of recognition, and shaking of hands, reporters wrote, recorded, or filmed. The place bristled with creativity.

Boston University film students were there making a documentary about the closing of Cambridge Typewriter. I knew because they had contacted me in January. Would I like to help? Yes, of course. Earlier in the week, at my home, we had a grand time filming for two hours. We greeted each other with hugs as they set up their camera.

I enjoyed meeting Abraham, whose blog, La Vie Graphite, I know well. And John Levine, retired Harvard professor, who at a previous Type-In won the speed typing competition, and gifted his prize of a typewriter to my young teen daughter. Here she was, thanking him all over again and talking about college entrance.

Citation from Governor Healey of Massachusetts in recognition of fifty years of dedicated service

Speed Typing Competition

At the top of the last hour, it was time for the typing competition. The text was a passage from David McCullough’s 1776. McCullough was famously a customer of Cambridge Typewriter.

As Tom explained the contest, his friend Abraham called out, “Thank you, Tom. You’re the best!”

The room erupted into applause, which grew to a standing ovation. A welcome opportunity to show our gratitude and embarrass Tom!

Finally, the clapping subsided, and Tom emerged from behind the McCullough handouts that made a handy shield.

The countdown! And we were off.

Furious typing, dinging of bells, clacking as of a former newsroom, and for the only time during the event, no talking.

Concentration!

Five minutes up, we handed in our pages.

"Ooh, onionskin!" Tom commented, taking my page of ultrathin paper. And whispered that he had an unopened ream at the shop if I'd like some more.

Tom, his wife, and daughter checked each entry for errors. The less, the better. And were soon ready to announce. To my surprise, I came in 2nd! The prize, some beautiful cotton paper.

And the winner, all the way from Maine, beamed as he opened his prize of a late-model Olivetti.

Speech!

And so, a speech.

Tom voiced his thanks and, with emotion, reflected on the successes of four-plus decades at the shop. He thanked all those who helped him get his start on his journey, and those who kept him going.

He thanked his daughter Emma, who, he said, dragged him kicking and screaming into the 21st century. A website brought in customers and made all the difference.

He thanked his brother-in-law, Jack, who came to help when Tom hurt his back, and liked working in the shop so much he stayed five years.

He thanked his customers. And he thanked the media who did so much to spread the word about Cambridge Typewriter, with so much excellent coverage, including the recent piece by Ian Aldrich in Yankee Magazine.

And, of course, he thanked his wife Anne Marie, who kept Tom going through those lean years of the rise of the personal computer when the other sixty Greater Boston typewriter repair shops fell by the wayside.

So much appreciation, and in response, another ovation.